To obtain reliable data in psychology, a number of special methods of psychological research are used. Sometimes their duration may take 10 years or more, as, for example, in the case of longitudinal research. This is a unique organizational study of the same people over an extended period of time, which is of extraordinary value.
Classification of psychological research methods
According to A.G. Maklakov, in domestic psychology, the methodological approach of B.G. Ananiev to the study of the human psyche is one of the most popular. He identified the following methods:
- Organizational: this is a longitudinal study, comparative, comprehensive.
- Empirical: observational, experimental, psychodiagnostic, praximetric, biographical and modeling.
- Data processing: qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis.
- Interpretation: genetic, structural.
Most often, in workshops and teaching aids, one can find descriptions of individual methods or their lists recommended for use for certain psychodiagnostic purposes. The presented classification has a certain degree of generalization and completeness. B. G. Ananiev laid the foundation for its stages of scientific research: preparatory, research, data processing and interpretation. Multifaceted and multilevel classification proposed by B.G. Ananyev, continues to remain relevant today.
The value of longitudinal research in the framework of psychology
The independent value of longitudinal research is the ability to predict the course of a person’s mental development. This method originates in child and age psychology. It was in the framework of these areas that long-term monitoring of the development of the same group of children began to be used for the first time - the so-called longitudinal section method. It has become a good alternative to the widespread cross-sectional methods that determine the state and levels of development.
The hypothesis underlying longitudinal research is the idea that human development is determined by a number of factors. These include his age, biology, personal and historical events, environmental conditions.
Longitudinal research is a very long-term and labor-intensive method, involving a systematic study of the same subjects. It allows you to determine the ranges of phases of a person’s life cycle with respect to age and individual variability. According to B. G. Ananiev, the longitudinal method of research ultimately gives a complex of individual monographs and psychological portraits of the subjects.
Distinguish a large longitudinal - with a duration of 10 years or more, and a small one - the conditional boundaries of which are several years. However, it is believed that for short periods its use is not so effective. In a large longitudinal, it is important to provide for a certain margin in the formation of the sample due to its inevitable reduction due to various life factors.
In psychology, longitudinal research provides high accuracy in predicting further development, since analysis and comparison take place within the same group of individuals and determines the genetic relationships between the phases of a person’s mental development. Using this method, distortions associated with intergroup differences in the compared samples of different ages are eliminated.
Benefits
The longitudinal method has several advantages. Since the study is conducted on the same sample of subjects, the focus of attention is directed to the internal changes of the individual. For each person, they occur in different ways and at different speeds. This method allows you to compare among themselves the subjects from this sample and compare the changes occurring under the influence of various external conditions. Together, this allows us to qualitatively explain the changes that occur with age, and makes it possible to scientifically sound forecasting the further course of mental development.
disadvantages
The longitudinal method has significant drawbacks. These include large time costs. To complete the study, it takes a lot of time. The theoretical and methodological base that was used at the initial stage may become obsolete, technical difficulties in conducting the analysis may arise, and the probable dropout rate is high. For various reasons, they may exit the study or it will be impossible to contact them. Often there is the Hawthorne effect.
Hawthorne Effect
The effect got its name from Hawthorn Works, where it was identified during research. In 1927-1932, the invited scientist E. Mayo and his team studied the causes of the decline in productivity in one of the workshops. They took into account several variables that could have a similar effect, and came to an unexpected conclusion about the need to introduce another variable - the very participation in the experiment.
Thoughts about the importance of what is happening, a sense of ownership, increased attention from outsiders led to a significant improvement in productivity among employees of the company even when there were no other objective favorable circumstances.
The Hawthorne effect speaks of some qualitative changes in the studied phenomenon, due only to the fact of observation, in particular, about positive changes in the behavior of people with increased attention to themselves and their work. Knowing that they are being watched, they strive to meet expectations, try to look better. This phenomenon symbolizes a significant distortion of the research results due to increased attention to the object of study.
Taking into account the listed advantages and disadvantages, we can safely say that longitudinal research is a wonderful method of deep study of the dynamics of mental development processes, which allows us to make forecasts and develop psychological support programs in times of crisis in a person’s life.